Elon Musk’s Starlink has been allowed a Guernsey licence.
The Tesla founder and CEO has been granted rights to conduct operations of his business that seeks to use his SpaceX technology to generate wifi on the Channel island, a plan outlined last year.
The 50-year-old billionaire applied for the permit in June and on Wednesday (22.06.22) the Guernsey Competition and Regulatory Authority gave him permission to go ahead in the Bailiwick.
Starlink told the GCRA that they were interested in selling fibre-optic style connectivity with 100 Mbps download speeds by 2023.
The GCRA said that Starlink intended to "provide fibre-like connectivity with speeds above 100 Mbps download and 80 Mbps upload" and that they opted for the island - which is known for its lax tax laws - because it is "well-regulated, economically stable and geographically well-placed to build on its existing European services".
They added that Elon’s business wanting to work there was "an example of the GCRA enabling innovative technological solutions for the benefit of islanders and businesses".
JT, a communication firm said: "JT has been investing in and offering fibre broadband to Guernsey customers since 2013 and connecting customers to the JT Fibre network ever since.
"We're very proud of the part we've played in opening up the opportunities that access to super-fast speeds provides homes and businesses and are supportive of any plans which give Guernsey customers the best experience possible."
On the other side of the pond, Elon’s electric supercompany is hot water after John Lynch and Daxton Hartsfield, two former employees of the Gigafactory - where the vehicles are manufactured - began legal action, accusing the company of violating labour law after they let go 500 people without the required notice.
